Play Finders Keepers at Mineral World & Scratch Patch in Sidney, BC
Recognized as one of the best state-of-the-art establishments in Canada, Mineral World is a unique venture in retail with its stone works of art, unique giftware, beautiful jewelries, fossils, school and community programs, Earth and Science exhibits and of course, their most well known Scratch Patch area.
It’s easily one of the most popular and fun Vancouver Island travel attractions all year round, and why not? People of all ages love to getting the chance to look for rare minerals and gems which they keep for free. If you want to get your hands on a few pieces of your own, better head down to Sidney, BC.
Launch a Treasure Hunt at Scratch Patch
When we discuss about the Scratch Patch area, it refers to a labyrinth of outdoor activities of shells, gold panning, gemstones and fossil digging. What is best is, it is absolutely free to visit. Jade, agate, amethyst, jasper and many are others are the gems that you could hunt and choose as your own treasure when you purchase a collector’s bag in the Scratch Patch area. Yes, you only pay for the bag! How cool is that?
The Scratch Patch can also be a family gold panning and gemstone adventure. It is specifically designed to let everyone enjoy and experience an adventure land full of magic and wonders through gems. It is where you will learn what it’s like to hunt and collect treasures.
A Garden of Gems and Minerals
Basically, the area is comprised of almost all of the gems around the world. Set like a garden right beside the sea, it is about 1800 square feet containing a pond of shells, two pools for gold panning and a pile of precious gemstones like amethyst, jasper and tigereye and about 80 varieties more. When there is nothing more to do, especially during hot summer days, you can just enjoy the cold stream and pick up tropical shells that you can just put in your bag.
All in all, you can enjoy the sea breeze, listen to the voices of the seagulls as you sit down, relax and feel in sync with nature. To somehow set the mood, you can also experience the lazy moment of the Scratch Patch. Once you get home, you might also want to identify the gemstones that you have collected and who knows it might be an amazing discovery for you to keep. Some discoveries were in fact about 400 million years old.
The Art of Hunting for Gemstones
Even though there is not an entrance fee, in order to collect a wide array of selections out of minerals, you must buy the collector’s bag for either $6.00, $8.00 or the largest one at $10.00 so that whatever you fill in the bag, it is going to be yours to keep! As you can imagine, a lot of people have learned of this. It is usually a family activity appealing from 6-year olds to the grannies. In fact, a lot of grandparents go back, purchase a bag for themselves and have fun without bringing their grandchildren along the second time.
It takes approximately 20 minutes to fill a bag if you rush it, but just take your time – you have the whole day to spend. The staff wouldn’t mind at all. So, what are you waiting for? The more you continually go back to the place, the more chances of getting more and more types and varieties of gemstones that you can collect and treasure. What do you think of a star sapphire?
Accommodations
When it comes to visiting one of the lovely places in the entire Vancouver Island, BC, it is generally best to book ahead of time to avoid the tourist crowd. There are a string of wonderful places to stay in Sidney, among the most popular ones include one of our major sponsors, BEST WESTERN PLUS Emerald Isle Motor Inn:
BEST WESTERN PLUS Emerald Isle Motor Inn
2306 Beacon Avenue, Sidney, British Columbia V8L 1X2
Phone: 250/656-4441 | Fax: 250/655-1351
If you are looking for great accommodations at reasonable rates, the Emerald Isle Motor Inn presents the ideal place to stay. It is the ultimate accommodation of choice for large groups and families.
Located a mere 5-minute drive from Victoria International Airport, along with other ports and terminals, Emerald Isle Motor Inn is highly accessible and easy to locate. For tourists searching for comfortable and affordable place to stay, this one is definitely on top of the list .
A short ride from Emerald Isle Motor Inn will take you to some of the major tourist destinations such as the Butchart Gardens, the Butterfly Gardens, the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre and Centre of the Universe Observatory, Church & State Winery, among others.
The guest rooms are spacious and well-appointed basic modern conveniences. In addition, the inn also features a number of wonderful amenities that are all designed to ensure a comfortable and memorable stay.
Re-published from www.amazingvancouverisland.com under creative commons license.